I recently went to a communication course led by Dr. Tiffany Davis-Maltby, former Charger Girl. Who else would be better at leading a communication course than Dr. Davis-Maltby (dancer, cheerleader, mother, wife, physician, former nurse and all around awesome person)? She is our next performing artist in our series Performing Artists Among Us.

Dr. Davis-Maltby danced 1 season with the Seahawks and 4 seasons with the Chargers all while she worked as a full time nurse. She was paid $50 for home games and had 2 unpaid 4 hour practices and all day Saturday practices every week. Promotional appearances paid more but were hard to get (although she had many!) When asked what made her cheer when she was paid so little and had to work a full time job, she answered simply, "Love." She loved to dance. She states, "In those times, there was no pretense or arrogance, just pure love."

After cheerleading, Dr. Davis-Maltby put herself through medical school and became a physician. She talks about a little known fact: Chargers Girls may be the hottest in the NFL but in her time, they were also the smartest and most talented. Her Chargers Girls peers were teachers, lawyers, and pilots. Among them was Tiffany Billings, the founder of Club Jete (@clubjete).

When asked what skills she brought with her from her cheerleading days to physician practice, she answers, "Everything you do has translatable skills." During Dr. Davis-Maltby's formative years, her family moved innumerable times. She attributes her insightfulness to her ever-changing environment. Despite not having formal dance training all those years, she became adaptable and learned quickly. She attributes this and her strong work ethics for her success in life. She had taken one season off and had to re-audition to get back on the team. She attributes her strong work ethic and her reputation for working hard to getting her back in despite having to compete with younger dancers for the spot.

Dr. Davis-Maltby states, "In those times, there was no pretense or arrogance, just pure love."

Cheerleading taught her how to connect with people with whom she may not have had anything in common. Dance and cheerleading also help her overcome her shyness and bring out her warm personality. To this day, these skills help her connect with patients and form strong doctor-patient relationships.

Regarding the horrors and superficialities that are commonly rumored with cheerleading, Dr. Davis-Maltby states that the Chargers were a great organization. She had weight-in's but never let those bother her and had a method to get through those without losing her self-esteem and integrity.

As a Chargers Girl, she had the privilege of dancing with some of the best choreographers and managers including, Angela King. Dr. Davis-Maltby danced and cheered all through life. Chargers Girls dance routines included hip-hop, tumbling, contemporary dance. To this day, she identifies as a dancer. She states, "I'm always dancing and moving."

I can personally attest that she is constantly dancing and moving and cheering her patients on as one of those everyday Performing Artists Among Us.